FLORA & FAUNA IN HOGSBACK

Hogsback is unique. The presence of fungi and mosses such as Old Man's beard point to the extreme purity of the air, and the area is surrounded by one only 2 patches of Afromontane forest left in the world.

In spite of its indigenous, African beauty Hogsback has a decidedly other-worldly feel to it, with pine forests, hazelnut avenues and many exotic flowers. These date from the earliest resident's inclinations to create a little England, and the effect is a beautiful garden-like village surrounded by both Afromontane and pine forests. There is also an Arboretum with a collection of exotic trees, including the largest California Redwoods outside the USA.

The Afromontane forest is home to several endemic and endangered species. The area is one of the last strongholds of the Cape parrot, of which there are only about 300 left in the wild - a number of them regularly roost in the hostel's grounds. The birds are dependant on Yellowood for nutrition, and as their habitat has been destroyed by logging, so their numbers have been depleted. The southern subspecies of the extremely rare Samango Monkey is also a Hogsback resident, a troop of 20 being frequent visitors to the backpackers grounds.

The Amatola Toad and the Hogsback Frog are both endemic to the area, as are species of bamboo and butterfly which live only on nearby Gaika's Kop mountain.

Bush pigs (hogs) roam the forests, and a game-ranger from a nearby reserve has recently identified a paw-print which is undoubtedly that of a leopard, although none of the big cats have been seen here in the last century.